


Awkward

by grumpynymph



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Asylum
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-17 01:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11840943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpynymph/pseuds/grumpynymph
Summary: Neither of them are good at this.





	Awkward

California wasn't his first choice.

Miles hated the way he fit in perfectly with the art douchebags with their raybans and vintage leather jackets, noses where the tops of their heads should be. It was a point of pride that his beat up jeans and ratty tshirts from high school still fit, no alterations required.

Now self conscious of both his raybans, and his vintage leather jacket, he scanned the campus for anything notable, careful to keep his concealed gaze away from the identical walking sunglasses scattered around the yard.

In truth, he had no idea what he was here for. When his cousin had called him with a subtle threat in one hand and family blackmail in the other, he hadn't questioned it.

Squinting down at the crumpled map in his hands, he sighed, flicking up the display on his flip phone and irritably jamming his thumb into the dial buttons. It went straight to voicemail.

“Pauline, hey, Pauline! Where the hell am I supposed to be going? I'm at Berkeley, now what? Call me back.”

Miles felt an overwhelming urge to throw the shitty gas station phone across the courtyard and use the 5 dollars in his wallet to get as far away from here as he could. He barely refrained.

Running a hand through his overgrown hair, the journalist shoved the device back in his pocket, attracting more than enough looks from edgy 20-something year olds milling about. He voted to pretend like he had a purpose, finding the closest department on the map: EECS, whatever the hell that meant.

A gust of cool air hit him directly in the face as he swung open the glass doors, slipping into the entryway as nonchalantly as he could.

Miles had to stop for a moment, taking in the _bigness_ of it all. He certainly wasn't back at his community college. This was the kind of school he would've killed to get into, back when he let his grandmother get in his head, back when he actually _believed_ he could make her proud. God, what a fucking fantasy.

He felt stupid standing in the middle of the hall, no idea what he was here for, no idea where he even was.

“Excuse me, are you lost?”

Maybe he should just get out of here, it's not like uncle Terry would care _that_ much about the porno he did in 97’ right?

“Sir?”

Of course she also had the pictures of him smoking weed at grandpa Boris’ funeral…

“Hey, asshole!”

Now that got his his attention. Turning around, Miles found himself face to face with a blond man dressed in a checkered suit and tie. Everything about him screamed professor, from his dad slacks to his clean cut frown. Green eyes bored into him, searching for any form of identification. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little turned on.

“Are you looking for a department?” The man asked, adjusting a leather messenger bag on his shoulder. “People have places to be, you're blocking the entryway.”

“Oh, nah. I'm just excessing my right to peacefully demonstrate against, uh-” Miles looked around the hall frantically, eyes landing on an algebra club ad. “Math.”

“Math?” The professor looked dubious, crossing his arms across his chest. “You're protesting.. math?”

“Well, yeah. You aren't?” He laughed nervously, enduring an awkward moment of confused silence before gesturing grandly to the poster. “I mean, it's everywhere, don't you think geometry is some sort of government propaganda? What fourth grader needs to know about dodecahedrons? I have a website on it, tells you all about the- uh, Area 51 drones.” Miles flashed the man a grin, sticking out his hand. “I'm Miles Upshur, by the way.”

The man, clearly amused, accepted the handshake. “Waylon Park. You should be careful what you say about math to a computer science professor,” he shook his head, more humor in his eyes when he looked back up. “You're not a student, are you?”

The journalist chuckled, shoving his hands back into his jacket. “You caught me. I'm just here to ah- drop something off for my cousin.” Miles hated lying to people, especially suspiciously hot college professors, but Pauline had him by a string. That had been a really _really_ bad porno.

“Well I'm late for my class, so-”

“Oh, no, yeah I'll get out of your way.”

“There's an information desk, you know,” Waylon made a vague motion down the hall “Just- yeah.”

“Right. Thanks, really.”

They both stared at each other for a moment before the professor nodded curtly, pushing past him, only to stop again five feet away.

“Do you…uh, I mean..” he had to take a moment to compose himself, turning to face the journalist fully. “My last lecture ends in an hour, will you still be..?

If Miles’ eyebrows could raise any higher, they'd be on the back of his head. “Oh, _oh_ , yeah! For sure, just uh-” he rushed to pull a pad of paper and pen from his coat, scribbling down his number. “here.”

Waylon had a hint of a smile on his lips as he accepted the messy note, nothing about it scholarly. “So I’ll just, you know. Later.”

He felt almost light headed as he grinned at the man, nodding quickly. “Yeah. Right.”

Another moment passed. “I'm really late for my class now, so I'm just gonna-” the professor slowly retreated, pace quickening as he glanced at the small clock on the wall. Miles stared at his retreating back until he rounded a distant corner. The smile on his face seemed to be superglued on.

Okay, maybe this secret mission wouldn't be so bad after all.

His phone vibrated, he switched it off.

PAULINE GLICK: There is a folder in your suitcase next to your godawful cologne. DO NOT make contact with a staff member by the name of Waylon Park.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The Miles and Pauline family relationship headcanon is solely based off of the somber look Pauline had on her face when she said Miles had been compromised. No, I'm not proud of myself.
> 
> Let me know if you like it/ if you'd like me to continue!


End file.
